About that Hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 trial

Re:About that Hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 trial by m0zg on Monday March 23, 2020 @07:07AM (#22662839)

Yeah, it's important to have it available if it's needed and it's important to conduct at least some sort of trial. Because the drug, combined with azithromycin is so fast acting, we should see the first results in a few days. Worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work. Best thing that can happen is we can save 1.8 trillion dollars and restart the economy. Under these circumstances one would be an idiot not to give it a try.

Coughing your lungs out but feel like CNN is not lying to you? Easy! Refuse the drug. Nobody can force you to take it.

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Re:About that Hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 trial by DanBC on Monday March 23, 2020 @09:38AM (#22663964)

> Worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work.

Worst thing that can happen with a chloroquine and azithromycin combination is that it causes heart arrhythmia and sudden death in a patient that would not have otherwise died.

Studies of patients taking this combination of meds include daily EKGs, which is something the general population at home isn't going to have access to.

https://twitter.com/search?q=azithromycin%20qt&src=typed_que...

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Re:About that Hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 trial by m0zg on Monday March 23, 2020 @02:59PM (#22667412)

That's why they are starting with a trial, and not a full scale roll out. Other countries are using this combination of drug, and it's not because they're huge fans of Trump, I can assure you. We also have literally millions of devices out there capable of detecting arrhythmia - they're called Apple Watch.

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Re:About that Hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 trial by snegu on Monday March 23, 2020 @04:28PM (#22668386)

Apple Watch can't detect long QT, which is one of the risk factors here.

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Re:About that Hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 trial by m0zg on Monday March 23, 2020 @04:35PM (#22668468)

That's like saying construction N95 masks can't be used in the medical setting just because they lack appropriate certification. That old shibboleth has been defenestrated weeks ago.

I bet it can, if FDA is beat over the head with a shovel, which it will be if the need arises. It's a real ECG verifiably capable of detecting irregular hearth rhythm, and it costs a tiny fraction of what a big-ass ECG machine would, and therefore can be deployed at a much larger scale. Just because it could only get approval to detect atrial fibrillation duing "peacetime" doesn't mean it can't be pressed into service for other things.

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